1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of data processing. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to wireless communication using a portable computer system and a second (xe2x80x9chostxe2x80x9d) computer system.
2. Related Art
As the components required to build a computer system have reduced in size, new categories of electronic devices and computer systems have emerged. One of the new categories of computer systems is the xe2x80x9cpalmtopxe2x80x9d computer system. A palmtop computer system is a computer that is small enough to be held in the hand of a user and can therefore be xe2x80x9cpalm-sized.xe2x80x9d Most palmtop computer systems are used to implement various Personal Information Management (PIM) applications such as an address book, a daily organizer (calendar, datebook, etc.) and electronic notepads, to name a few. Palmtop computers with PIM software have been know as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). Many PDAs have a small and flat display screen associated therewith.
User convenience and device value are very important factors for portable electronic devices. Typically, portable electronic devices are employed while the user is on the run, e.g., in business meetings, on business travel, personal travel, in a vehicle, on foot, etc. Because the user may be occupied or busy while using the portable electronic device, the number of user steps or user tasks required in order to access information from an electronic device (or to store information into the electronic device) is crucial for producing a commercially successful and useful product. That is, the more difficult it is to access data from an electronic device, the less likely the user will perform those tasks to obtain the information. Likewise, the easier information is to obtain, the more likely the portable electronic device will be used to obtain that information and the more likely the portable electronic device will become a part of the user""s everyday activities.
Similarly, the more useful the device, the more the device will be used and acquired. The functionality of mobile wireless devices is undergoing a transition. Mobile devices are evolving from a single application device with dedicated specific purpose communication channel (for example, a cell phone or pager), to more general-purpose devices with more flexible data communication capabilities.
More specifically, wireless technology is advancing, both in the number of options that are available for providing connectivity, and in their flexibility to provide general purpose data communication. Different technologies such as cellular technologies (e.g., CDMA, TDMA), LAN access technologies (e.g., IEEE 802.11, HomeRF) and PAN technologies (e.g., Bluetooth, IR) each address a different set of needs, and provide different set of potential services. Mobile devices are no longer also restricted to one communication channel. Modular mobile devices allow network interfaces to be attached, allowing for unlimited communications configurations. In addition, Bluetooth technology allows a single mobile device to be simultaneously in access multiple piconets through a single interface.
To facilitate mobile wireless communication, several wireless modem peripheral devices are available that can be directly connected to the serial interface port of a host computer system thereby providing wireless communication to the host computer system, e.g., a laptop computer. The serial interface on the wireless modem peripheral is reserved for this type of connection. Additionally, some cell phones having built-in modems also provide an interface that is reserved for the host computer system thereby providing wireless communication to the host computer system. However, cell phone interfaces tend to be complex and non-standard. Few computer users have the required cabling to make them work. As cellular phone functionality and wireless modem functionality are integrated into PDAs, a problem has arisen in that conventional PDAs heretofore do not offer a convenient (or any) mechanism for providing wireless communication to a host computer system using their internal resources as do conventional cell phones and wireless modem peripherals.
Accordingly, what is needed is a method and system allowing a PDA to use its internal resources to act as a peripheral device for a connected host computer system. Further, what is needed is a system and method allowing a PDA to provide wireless communication functionality to a connected host computer system using its internal wireless modem. What is also needed is such a system that does not require any additional physical connection resources (to the host computer system) that are not already present in the equipment of a conventional PDA. What is further needed is a mechanism that allows a host computer system to use a connected PDA as a wireless modem peripheral. Using such a method and system, a PDA could extend wireless functionality to a host computer system and thus increase the value of the PDA to the user. Embodiments of the present invention provide the above advantages and others not specifically mentioned above but described in the sections to follow.
A method and system are described for using a wireless enabled portable computer system as a wireless modem. The portable computer system may be a personal digital assistant (PDA) having an internal wireless modem. The internal wireless modem, e.g., GSM radio in one embodiment, contains a communication port (port2) that communicates with a processor of the portable computer system. The portable computer system also contains another communication port (port1) that is externally available for connection to a second computer system. A software bridge is provided that copies commands and/or data from the port1 over to the port2 and vice-versa.
The software bridge allows the second computer system to directly use the internal wireless modem of the portable computer system when the portable computer system is connected to the second computer system. The connection to the second computer system can be made by a wired connection (e.g., serial interface, RS232) or by a wireless connection, e.g., Bluetooth or infra-red communication. The port1 and the port2 can be serial communication ports which may be UART compliant. The PDA thus extends wireless functionality to a second computer system (e.g., a notebook) using conventional connection mechanisms for communicating with the second computer system. In one embodiment, any wirelessly enabled PDA can be placed in its cradle (which is coupled to a host computer system) and can readily be used as a wireless modem peripheral by the host computer system.
Regarding other embodiments, in the case where the second or xe2x80x9chostxe2x80x9d computer system is a PPP (point-to-point protocol) client and the wireless communication is not PPP compliant, the internal modem may provide translation to the PPP protocol. In this case, the processor receives PPP compliant communication. Alternatively, the software bridge may provide this translation if the internal modem provides non-PPP information to the processor.
More specifically, an embodiment of the present invention includes a personal digital assistant comprising: a first communication port accessible from an external communication connector, the external communication connector for coupling with a host computer system; an internal wireless communication device configured to communicate with a second communication port that is internal to the personal digital assistant and wherein the second communication port is not directly accessible by the external communication connector; a memory; and a processor coupled to communicate with the first communication port and the second communication port and coupled to the memory, the processor operable to make the internal wireless communication device accessible to the host computer system by executing instructions stored in the memory that implement a communication bridge providing communication between the first communication port and the second communication port.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes a computer system comprising: a host computer system; a portable computer system communicatively coupled to the host computer system and comprising: a first communication port directly accessible from an external communication device, the external communication device for communicating with the host computer system; an internal wireless communication device configured to communicate with a second communication port that is internal to the portable computer system and that is not directly accessible by the external communication device; a memory; and a processor coupled to communicate with the first communication port and the second communication port and coupled to the memory, the processor operable to make the internal wireless communication device accessible to the host computer system by executing instructions stored in the memory that implement a communication bridge between the first communication port and the second communication port.